Abstract
Malaria disease is endemic in least developed countries like Ethiopia. The rapid development of drug-resistant malaria parasite strain leaves the need for new effective anti-malarial drugs. Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone found in the leaves and flowers of plants Artemisia annua L and have different chemical structures and higher efficacy than others. The content of artemisinin is very small and from 0.5 to 1.2 % of dry weight of plants in Ethiopia. Extraction of artemisinin from Artemisia annua is mainly performed using hydrocarbon extraction processes. Extraction with Supercritical CO2, ethanol, ionic liquids, hydroflourocarbon HFC-134a and hexane extraction are extraction technologies and compared majorly in terms of their extraction efficiency, cost and drawback to environment. Since artemisinin is only present in the epidermis of the leaves, leaves were only washed on the outside by stirring appeared to be the most appropriate method and the first step in this research was solvent extraction using hexane. Step followed purify by repeated crystallization. Laboratory scale production data and procedures were listed for aremisinin extraction process. By using those data large scale production method was designed. And did material and energy balance calculations for large scale production process carried out by taking scientific approach followed by feasibility study. As a result my extractor was very large and it has 14.37m3 capacities it wasn’t found in market. So I designed the required larger extractor that should fulfill the target of the project i.e. with simple, rapid, cost effective, environmental friendly and practical method for the isolation of artemisinin from Artemisia annua. The design the extractor I used the optimum ratio between solvent and leaves, optimum extraction time, optimum extraction temperature and optimum design of the stirrer paddles. In these thesis work extractor design, skirt design, bolt design, reinforcement calculations, preliminary equipment design (sizing), economic analysis calculations were included. In the profitability analysis Return on investment, payback period and net present worth calculated and the project was checked its feasibility. The payback period is 1.22yrs and it is economically acceptable that means this market is promising in Ethiopia in addition to save millions of Ethiopian and African from killer malaria.
Key words: artemisinin, sesquiterpene lactone, hexane extraction
Table of Contents
1.Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Objective
1.2.1 General objective
1.2.2 Specific Objectives
1.3 Scope of Study
2. Literature Review
2.1 Essential oil utilization and application
2.2 History of Artemisia annua L.
2.3 Artemisia Plant and Production
2.4 Uses of Artemisia annua L.
2.4.1 Medicinal Uses
2.4.2 Edible Uses
2.5 Chemical Constituents of Artemisia Annua
2.6 Physical and Chemical properties of Artemisia Annua
2.6.1 Physical Properties of Artemisia annua
2.6.3 Physico-Chemical Properties
2.6.4 Over View of Artemisinin Oil
2.7 Composition of Artemisinin
Benefits of Artemisinin
2.8 Market Assessment
3. Process technology
3.1 Technology choices
3.2 Process description
3.2.1 Artemisinin extraction by using hexane extraction process
3.3 Process Flow Sheet
4. Materials and Methods
4.1 General description of the study area
4.2 Material Used
4.2.1 Plant Materials
4.2.2 Chemicals
4.3Laboratory Work
4.3.1 Objective of the Laboratory
4.3.2 Equipment Setup
4.3.3 Laboratory Procedure
4.3.4 Laboratory Findings
5. Large Scale Production
5.1 Comparison of Small Scale and Large Scale Processes
6. Material and Energy Balance
6.1Material Balance
6.2 Energy balance
6.2.1 General Energy Balance
7. Mechanical Equipment Design (Extractor Design)
7.1 Searching for the Right Kind of Large Scale Extractor
7.2 Features
7.3 Specifications
7.4 Design Procedures
7.5 Skirt Design
7.6 Bolt Design
7.7 Reinforcement Calculation
8. Preliminary Equipment Design (Sizing)
9.Economic Analysis
9.1 Purchased Equipment Cost and Cost Estimation
9.2 Profitability Analysis
9.3 Return on Investment (ROI)
9.4 Payback Period
9.5 Net present Worth (NPW)
10. Conclusion and Recommendation
10.1 Conclusion
10.2 Recommendation
Project Objectives and Focus Areas
This thesis aims to extract and isolate artemisinin from the plant Artemisia annua grown in Ethiopia using a hexane extraction process, while evaluating oil yield, performing material and energy balance calculations for large-scale production, and conducting an economic feasibility study for the project.
- Hexane-based extraction and purification of artemisinin.
- Comprehensive material and energy balance for industrial-scale production.
- Mechanical design of a custom-sized 14.37m3 extractor.
- Economic feasibility analysis including ROI, Payback Period, and Net Present Worth.
- Assessment of Ethiopian Artemisia annua samples for artemisinin content.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Technology choices
In extraction processes there must be a need to develop processes that would be able to compete in terms of efficiency of primary extraction and cost of a plants with specific biomass through put, and have little or none of the drawbacks associated with extraction materials, risk to human health, potential for multi crop operation and the dangers of processes involving large volumes of volatile combustible fluids. In order to compare the different extraction technologies, it is also necessary to compare the risk and safety, environmental performance (green house gas emissions), and potential risk to human health. (Malcolm Cutler et al., 2006)
Extraction of Artemisinin from Artemisia annua is currently mainly performed using hexane extraction processes. Extractions with supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2), ethanol, hydro fluorocarbon HFC-134a and ionic liquids are also used to extract artemisinin (Malcolm Cutler et al., 2006)
The following is a brief indication to the ranges of products extracted and their suitability for a multi crop extraction plant, based on artemisinin.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Discusses the history of herbal medicine and the importance of Artemisia annua as a source for the anti-malarial drug artemisinin, particularly in the Ethiopian context.
2. Literature Review: Covers the history, chemical constituents, and physical properties of Artemisia annua, as well as an overview of various extraction technologies.
3. Process technology: Analyzes different extraction methods and provides a detailed description of the hexane extraction process, including a flow sheet of the operations.
4. Materials and Methods: Details the study area, the collection of plant materials, and the specific laboratory procedures used for the extraction and measurement of artemisinin.
5. Large Scale Production: Compares the differences between small-scale and large-scale extraction processes and highlights the necessity for scientific and efficient scale-up.
6. Material and Energy Balance: Performs detailed mass and energy calculations for each stage of the industrial extraction process to ensure efficiency and process control.
7. Mechanical Equipment Design (Extractor Design): Describes the design requirements and specifications for a custom, large-scale extractor tailored for the project's capacity.
8. Preliminary Equipment Design (Sizing): Provides the dimensions and scaling parameters for the various pieces of equipment required in the extraction facility.
9. Economic Analysis: Conducts a comprehensive economic evaluation, calculating project costs, profitability, ROI, payback period, and net present worth to demonstrate viability.
10. Conclusion and Recommendation: Summarizes findings on extraction efficiency and economic feasibility, while recommending future research into greener solvents and improved recovery systems.
Keywords
artemisinin, Artemisia annua L., sesquiterpene lactone, malaria, feasibility study, hexane extraction, material and energy balance, extractor design, Ethiopia, economic analysis, medicinal plants, anti-malarial, purification, crystallization, process engineering
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the extraction and industrial-scale production of artemisinin from Artemisia annua plants grown in Ethiopia, using hexane as the solvent.
What are the primary themes discussed in this work?
The work covers botany and chemical properties of Artemisia annua, detailed extraction technology, material and energy balances for industrial design, and a rigorous economic feasibility study.
What is the main goal of the thesis?
The primary goal is to establish a viable process for extracting artemisinin in Ethiopia to provide an affordable anti-malarial treatment and to design the necessary large-scale industrial equipment.
Which scientific method is utilized for extraction?
The researcher utilizes a hexane-based solvent extraction method combined with repeated crystallization and purification steps.
What aspects of the process are covered in the main section?
The main section details the entire production chain from raw material processing and solvent extraction to the mechanical design of the extractor and the economic analysis of the plant.
Which keywords best characterize this project?
Key terms include artemisinin, Artemisia annua L., malaria, feasibility study, hexane extraction, material balance, energy balance, and extractor design.
How large is the proposed industrial extractor?
The designed extractor has a significant capacity of 14.37 cubic meters to accommodate the industrial-scale requirements of the project.
Is the proposed project economically feasible?
Yes, the economic analysis shows a 65% return on investment (ROI) and a payback period of 1.22 years, indicating the project is financially promising for Ethiopia.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Seid Yimer (Autor:in), 2008, Extraction of Artemisinin from Artemisia Annua, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/208617
